hobbs



(No Model.) 2 Sh'eets-Sheet 1. E. M. HOBBS.

GAR COUPLING.

.No. 267,749. Patented Nov. 21, 1882 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. M. HOBBS.

OAR COUPLING.

No. 267,749. Patented Nov. 21, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,749, dated November 21, 1882.

Application filed September 5, 1882.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, ELIJAH MosEs Bones, of Santa Rosa, Sonoma county, State of California, have invented an Improved Oar-Coupling; and I herebi declare the following to be a lull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a novel automatic car-coupling; and it consists in certain details of construction, as hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in theolaim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my device; Fig. 2, a plan. Fig. 3isa section on the line 1 2, Fig. 2.

Let A represent the draw head, the top of which is open, as shown. From the rear of the chamber a of the draw head extends backwardly a passage, 12, through the floor of which, at its rear end, is made a hole, 0.

0 represents the coupling-pin. This has a shoulder, 61, at its back end on the under side, and is cut out on its upper side, nearits forward end, to form a middle shoulder, e, and a forward shoulder, c, Fig. 3. The rear top edge of the pin is beveled to fit the correspondiugly-beveled end of passage 1), and its forward end pointed. The pin 0 is fitted to the draw-head by inserting its rear end through the hole 0 in the bottom of passage 1) and then bringing it to a horizontal, in which position the shoulder d catches against the front of hole 0, and the pin lies in the passage 1) and upon the floor of thedraw-head, extending lorwardly beyond the front.

D is thelatch. This consists of a heavy link, the ends of which are pivoted to the sides of the shank of the draw-head. The pins or bolts h which pivot it pass through elongated slots h in its ends, so Lhatthe latch may have acertain play on its pivots for a purpose I shall presently show. (See Fig. 1.) The latch D is far enough back when in a vertical position to rest against the end of the car, and is adapted to swing down into the draw-head,its end being received upon side walls,m, and fitting into the notched-out portion of the pin 0, just in front of the notch e,and immediately behind the front wall of the chamber a of the draw-head.

The parts I have thus described are duplicated, as shown in the opposite draw-head, and the operation of the device is as follows: Both pins 0 are easily inserted in their respective draw-heads, the open tops of these latter pro- (No model.)

viding for this. It will be observed that the pins 0 are oppositely curved from their middles forward, so that when the draw heads are brought together they may not interfere with each other. The latches l) are raised against the end of the cars. When the draw heads meet the pins will have passed into the opposite draw-head, and the end shoulder, e, ofeach will be about in line with the middle shoulder, e, of the other. The jar caused by the meeting of the cars throws down the latches, to fall in front of the-shoulders e of the pins, and by engaging therewith couple the draw-heads.

To avoid strain upon thepivots oft he latches I give to them a certain play by means of their elongated pivot-slots It, so that when the pins 0 pull upon them they come in contact with and bear against the front wall of the drawheads and put no strain upon their pivots. The latches D are made heavy enough to secure the pins and prevent them either from pulling out from the draw-heads or from the latches. It makes no dilference, however, whether the latches are in a vertical position at the moment of couplingthey may both be down-the pointed heads of the pins will easily slip under and lit their shoulders e behind them. The coupling may be elfected even though but one of the latches engage. All the necessary freedom of side motion is given to the pins 0 when coupled, as there is sufticient space to move easily.

When a pin is damaged in any way it is an easy matter to replace it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by'lletters Patent, is-

An automatic coupling'consistingofthe opentop draw-head A, provided with the passage 1), hole 0 in its floor, and side walls, 122, in combination with thecoupling pin, having on itsforward end shoulder 6, its rear end beveled to correspond with passage b, and the middle shoulder, e, and the externally-pivoted linklatch D, all constructed, arranged, and operated as set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

ELIJAH M. HOBBS.

Witnesses:

J NO. J. MCCARTHY, J. H. BLOOD. 

